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Tottenham Hotspur are gearing up for a return to European competition in the Europa League this season, having missed out last year. However, a controversial decision by Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has drawn attention. Tottenham defender Djed Spence, despite a standout pre-season, has been left out of the Europa League squad for the group stage.
The squad only comprises 23 players, falling short of the 25-player limit. This limitation stems from UEFA’s requirement that a 25-man squad must include four homegrown players. Currently, Tottenham’s squad includes only two homegrown players, both goalkeepers—Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman.
Alasdair Gold, on the Gold & Guest podcast, criticized Tottenham’s “poor squad management” for failing to include enough homegrown players. In the Premier League, players under 21 do not need to be registered, but UEFA mandates that Under-21 players must have been with the club for at least two years to qualify as homegrown. Since Spence does not meet this criterion, he was excluded from the squad, with Postecoglou opting for Fraser Forster instead.
Gold expressed frustration over Spurs’ lack of outfield homegrown players, describing the situation as “ridiculous.” He referenced comments made by José Mourinho a few years ago about a gap in the academy pipeline, which has proven accurate as no new players have emerged to fill the void.
